Plan for ‘lean’ Air N.Z. jolts staff

Press, 16 November 1981, Page 2

Plan for ‘lean’ Air N.Z. jolts staff

PA Auckland Air New Zealand has presented'its staff groups with a plan for a “lean airline” — 900 fewer staff and a greatly reduced aircraft fleet by next October.

The plan jolted union and staff representatives, when it was put before them at the week-end.

It would undoubtedly mean many redundancies, probably more than they expected.

The redundancies would include 300 resulting from the withdrawal of the Wellington Tasman' services, but this would also include people based elsewhere, in engineering and flight crews.

The scheme includes the withdrawal of all DClOs from service, it is hoped sold but if necessary moth-balled.

The domestic F 27 Friendship fleet would be reduced by two to 11. The brunt of the cuts appears to fall on international services. > .

The meeting Was held privately and no announcement was made by either side.

The staff and union representatives will put the airline plan before rank-and-file members early next week. A

manpower development group was set up to handle the problem of redundancies, redeployment and other measures aimed at reducing staff.

Although no official comments have been made by either side, .a number of unions privately made it clear they were angry and shocked by the plan. But airline management took the view that this was a response staff had been waiting for.

One source said the employees’ group had been pressing the airline to produce a blueprint of how the airline should look if it was to return to profitability. “This is exactly what we have done,” he said. The airline had accepted some' proposals which had been put forward by the unions recently. Among these was the plan to allow staff to take long periods of leave Without pay.

The • company’s early retirement scheme would also be extended. One union leader who was riot at the meeting lashed out at the plan. The secretary of the Airline Stewards and Hostesses’ Association, (Mr

R. Mirkin), said it was an example of the “narrow thinking” ■ which characterised the airline.

“Qantas is in exactly the same position but is thinking innovatively. It is casting about for new business, even planning new services to generate business,” he said.

“The Air New Zealand attitude is that if it can reduce its fleet to just five jumbo jets and run the very basic services, it will put itself back on to the road to recovery.

“It will not work.- They have got to shed their complacency and get but and hustle for business.”

Mr Mirkin has just returned from Australia where he addressed. 2000 union people at the . New ■ South Wales Labour Council.He sajd he believed there, was a good chance Qantas workers would support employees at the Air New Zealand flight kitchen .‘in Wellington, which the airline plans to close. If the Qantas workers refused to double load meals on the Qantas Wellington services, the' airline would have’ to take on meals in Wellington.